Burn Me Down
by GypsumLilac
Summary: A story of dealing with debilitating mental illness and making a friend. Soft Underfell, written in 2nd person POV. CW: self-harm, passive suicidal tendencies, depression, and psychosis. Slightly goofy, not meant to be taken too seriously. The mental illness is written from personal experience.
1. Til The Sun Comes Up

Your restaurant is a craphole, and that's putting it gently. The quality is horrendous, the service is terrible, and the hygiene is unquestionably bad. It has one star or less on all review sites. Your coworkers hate each other and every little drama tangles the general manager and the shift managers and the crew members into one embroiled mess of vitriol and vengeful plots.

But you can't leave. You barely got hired. And the pay is not worth it, but it's better than no pay. On the bad days, which is nearly every day, you 'accidentally' press the back of your hand to the basket as it comes out of the fryalator, and then run the burn under cold water so that it hurts but doesn't fester. On the worse days, you panic, struggle to breath, and then fall to the floor, catatonic. Nobody cares. Sometimes you can manage to make them send you home on those days, but usually you just have to make it past the falling part and keep working through the stress and heat. And when you do fall, your coworkers just work around you, stepping over your prone body.

So it's one of those miserable days again. You can barely pretend to be happy to your customers, and even that is more than most of your coworkers do. You already fell once from heatstroke earlier and now are working with a wet cloth around your neck. And your shift manager has been shouting at-or about-you for, oh, about ten minutes now. You just tune her out, like you do with everything bothersome. Focus on work, focus on taking orders, smiling, and assembling the food.

The first sign that something odd has occurred is when you notice the silence. She's stopped yelling. You glance over to her; she's dumbstruck, staring into the lobby. Finish taking the order in the drivethru and then you turn around.

"Hello, sir, how can I help you?" You ask upon seeing the customer and shift positions to the front counter. Who knows how long they've been waiting while your manager has been staring at them like an idiot. "Thanks for your patience." You never falter from your script, despite the painful vitriol that drips in your mind when you look into their sockets.

"HOW DISAPPOINTING." They say and you're set on edge. "TEN MINUTE RESPONSE TIME. WHY MY BROTHER LIKES THIS PLACE IS BEYOND ME."

Oh. Oops, that's how long they've been there? "Apologies, sir, I was backed up in drivethru." Again, a scripted answer.

"WHY COULD THAT LADY NOT HELP?" They demand.

"She-" You glance back at your manager, who is busy ignoring the customer. "doesn't- her- uh. religion. doesn't approve of. you." You say haltingly, completely willing to throw her under the bus, but constructing dialogue on the spot is harder under pressure, especially with the voices shouting _freak, kill it_.

Their sockets narrow. "REALLY." The heavy knife you keep in your pocket seems to burn through the fabric, the voices telling you to slice their ribs open.

"Yes, sir." You say, and thankfully your voice remains steady. "But I-"

"WHO OWNS THIS PLACE?"

"Huh?" You say stupidly, then recover, "The- Wells family, currently." They nod tersely and then turn to leave. "Would you like to speak with them?" You say before they can take a step.

"YES."

So you give the Fae customer the number for the owners. "Just- don't tell them I sent you." You try to say it like it's a joke, but you're completely serious.

They consider you for a moment. "I WON'T." And then they leave. Just a normal everday interaction with a customer, one that should not have been so unsatisfactory to the customer as it was. Just an average complaint, one of hundreds you get every day. By now you know the owners' number by heart and have learned to just pass the anger onto them. They never listen anyhow. Nothing ever changes.

As soon as the customer is gone, your manager blows up again. You focus your frustration into a silent internal scream as you go back to the drivethru.

####

A week later, the Wells family, two parents and their son and daughter, walk into the store like they own the place. Which is fitting, because they do.

You're unprepared. Everybody is. The owners have never shown up, in all the five years you've worked here. And now they do. There have been so many complaints in the last week alone that you're not really sure which one was the last straw. The GM, Letty, hides in the back office as soon as she sees them. So they come up to you.

You show them around and let them watch as you serve customers. Today was not a good day in the first place and you already have two new oil burns on your hands. When they move on to watch your coworker, you stand by the fryalator and stare into it. If you slipped your entire hand into it, they'd have to send you home. The voices want you to do it, desperately.

A heavy step behind you jolts your nerves and makes your hand flinch back, but you force your body to relax in a facade of innocence. Expecting one of the owners, you turn with a smile.

It's the customer from last week, the skeleton Fae. They frown at you, seeming to be trying to loom, but they're only a few inches taller so it doesn't really work. "HANDS." They hold out their gloved hands and you silently obey, giving yours to them palms up so they don't see the scars. They flip your hands over with only token resistance from you. "INTERESTING." They then stride past you without further remark, going straight up to the owners. This baffles you only further when you realize that they're on the wrong side of the counter and you're not entirely sure how they got back here unless somebody let them in from a back door.

Their voice continues to be projected at a loud volume as they speak to the owners, so you listen to appease your curiosity as you return to your post. The son drops the Fae's name: Mr. Eleos. From what you can pick up of the conversation without having prior context, it seems that they're discussing a business deal. That's about all you can make of the scattered bits of jargon you catch while trying to keep the lines moving.

Eventually the Fae and the owners take the business deal elsewhere, leaving you with no time to wonder about it as the line of customers doubles. It used to confuse you-why people still come to this mockery of a restaurant-but now you're jaded enough to know that people will eat anything if it's fast, cheap, and marketed well enough. _That there's the spectrum of intelligent life._

Nothing out of the ordinary happens for a week after that one odd day.

####

You lay on the disgusting greasy floor exactly the way you fell, despite your discomfort. You can't move, since every muscle is filled with lead and your mind is blank with fog and thorny hatred. Your coworkers work around you as usual, not bothering to try to help you up since they know you'll get up by yourself in a few minutes.

Distantly, a loud strident voice says words that you could probably understand if you tried, but they float through your consciousness and drift away before you can process them. And then something firm slips under your shoulders and knees, lifting you. You lay limp, not daring to attempt to move.

You're carried out and placed on one of the chairs in the break room so that you can rest your head on the table. Your eyes fall open and you stare blankly at the skeleton fae helping you.

"I AM GOING TO CALL AN AMBULANCE."

You want to tell him _no_, you're fine, you don't need an ambulance, but you can't talk. Your mouth flops open and gasps fish-like as you attempt to force words past the blockage in your throat. "n- nn," You manage to whine, "nooo-"

He scowls at you and you're struck by a sense of awed terror. "WOULD YOU RATHER I SUSPEND YOU?"

You manage to shake your head, still staring at them. A drunken grin crosses your face. "cuh- _cute_." You manage to say. It's easier to keep talking the more you use your voice.

His scowl deepens. "OR SHALL I FIRE YOU FOR _INSULTING_YOUR _TERRIFYING AND VERY-MUCH-NOT-CUTE_ NEW BOSS."

The terror rises like a wave and threatens to break through your mask. You shake your head quickly, trying to look contrite, and your hands go to your throat to ease the painful stress of living by strangling the breath away.

Leather-covered fingers curl around your wrists and untangle your hands, firmly yanking them down and away from your neck. "NO." He reprimands sternly and tears sting in your eyes as you start to cry.

"su-s-ah- -sor-" You try to make the word come out but it trips over your tongue and catches in your throat as your shoulders shake with sobs. "m- m'sah-ree."

His fingers scritch at your scalp and your sobs stop abruptly in favor of making a pleased monotone hum. "APOLOGY ACCEPTED. CALL SOMEONE TO TAKE YOU HOME OR I WILL CALL THE AMBULANCE." He stands up again and leaves to yell at someone for not putting on gloves while touching raw meat.

You manage to stagger to your feet, then flop onto the floor and go immediately into a pseudo-catatonic state, unwilling to move a single muscle, your eyes staring vaguely off into the distance. After ten or fifteen minutes, you start to test your motor ability and find that the episode has mostly passed. You test your throat; you can talk again for the most part as well. You're good to walk home, except that your GM never lets you go home once an episode has passed. So you return to the floor to start working again.

The Fae stomps about, ordering everyone around. Now that you're not in your crazy state, you can put together the pieces. He said he's your boss. But how can that be, when your current GM is still here?

No matter. You go to your place at the window, taking over from a frightened highschooler who keeps glancing at the Fae. Huffing, you grab the order from his hands and hand it out the window. "Have a wonderful day," You grin at the customer. A hand rests on your shoulder as the customer speeds off with a terrified look at the person behind you.

"WHY ARE YOU FAINTING?" He demands as you turn to face him with an innocent smile.

"I-" You falter, unsure how to answer, then settle for mumbling, "I don't know."

"I BELIEVE I TOLD YOU TO GO HOME." He lets it go, thankfully.

"I'm fine now." You protest. "I can work."

"WHILE YOUR ATTITUDE IS ALMOST AS ADMIRABLE AS MINE, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE FAINTING FROM STRESS. GO HOME AND REST, THEN COME BACK TOMORROW." He tells you, then pats your head. "I WILL BE ASSESSING EVERYONE THEN, SO YOU WILL HAVE TO BE PREPARED IN ORDER TO MEET MY LOFTY STANDARDS, NYEH HEH."

"Yes, boss." You say drily.

He nods firmly, then turns away and shouts furiously at one of the highschoolers who was about to serve a pie that had fallen on the floor. You wince, but can't deny that you're pleased _someone_is trying to whip this craphole into shape. Maybe he'll actually succeed, too.

You head home for the day, collapsing into one of your beanbags and turning on music to unwind. Your favorite song, _The Lost One's Weeping_, plays and you attempt to sing along, the Japanese words tripping over your inexperienced tongue, so you end up humming and bobbing your head to it instead. Fall asleep in the beanbag, in your work clothes still. When you wake, you blink blearily and roll to your feet, the familiar dead void in your chest spiking painfully as thoughts, _not__yours_, snarl at you.

You return to work earlier than your shift's technical start, but there's nothing else to do, your life consists of work and sleep and occasionally food. Mr. Eleos paces the floor, watching everyone like a tiger, when you enter. He sees you and nods in acknowledgement. "SHION, CORRECT?" He says.

"Yes, Mr. Eleos." You reply, not wanting to be outdone.

He smirks. "I AM THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS. BUT YOU MAY CALL ME _BOSS_."

"Okay, _Papyrus_." You say, trying to block the acidic insults the voices throw at him. His jaws twitch as he scowls. You punch his shoulder lightly as you pass him to clock in.

When you turn to look at him, he hasn't moved, standing frozen in the middle of the floor. You go back up to him and ask in concern, "Papyrus?"

He lets out a strangled sound, then his hand comes up and sharply cuffs your head. "D-DO NOT TAKE LIBERTIES WITH ME! I AM FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN YOUR PATHETIC INTENT CAN HANDLE!" He screeches.

"_Eep_! S-sorry, boss!" You yelp, unsure what caused his anger.

"AS I AM MAGNANIMOUS, I WILL FORGIVE YOU. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN." He says stiffly and stomps away. You rub your stinging scalp, wondering if the culprit was your friendly punch. Maybe he thought you were attacking him.

####

"OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK, I WILL BE ASSESSING EACH OF YOU TO FIGURE OUT YOUR STRENGTHS AND FLAWS." He says as everyone gathers to the morning crew meeting. Normally, not everyone would be here at the same time, but your new boss made an exception for this one day. "AND I WILL BE FIRING FOUR OF YOU, THE ONES I DEEM TO BE LEAST _BENEFICIAL_." His sockets fall on you as he says this and your throat dries. You may hate this job, but you can't lose it.

He comes up to you later as you're taking orders and cash at the same time. You feel lightheaded, buzzing in your veins. "HERE." He says and hands you something. You take the handle and set it down absently. "PAY ATTENTION." He snaps and you excuse yourself to the customer in the window before turning to him.

"Yes, boss?" You ask nervously.

"MAKE SURE YOU'RE DRINKING." He tells you, gesturing to the jug of water he gave you. It's decorated with skulls. "AND IN HALF AN HOUR YOU WILL TAKE A BREAK AND EAT SOMETHING. YOU WILL NOT FAINT TODAY."

"Y-yes, boss." You choke on an inexplicable lump in your throat even as enraged thoughts try to tear him down, saying you don't need help, you don't need his help- you're fine.

He pats your head and the thorns in your mind retract for a moment. "TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF." He grunts, scowling, but the words are kind even if the tone is severe.

You obey his command, taking drinks between interacting with customers. Papyrus's shouted scoldings galvanise your coworkers into doing things properly. It's almost impressive, how terrified of him everyone is. But he's just a person. A loud and intimidating person.

You decide you're not scared of him. A bounce goes into your movements. You decide you like him as a boss. Nobody- nobody has ever given you water and told you to take care of yourself. Tears sting in your eyes and you curse your weird propensity to cry at the slightest things, holding them back behind a glass wall.

The week wears on; between his supervision and your blind determination to keep your job, somehow you manage to make it without fainting or even having an episode while at work. You- uh. You don't avoid getting new oil burns, a couple every day, though. You hide the deed from your new boss, knowing he would disapprove. He doesn't notice.

The end of the week comes and all crew members are gathered into the lobby once more. Papyrus struts in front of everyone and says he's compiled a list and will be working with individuals every day to improve them. And then he turns to you. "SHION AND NATALIE." He says, scowling, and your gut sinks, a knot forming in your chest and making it hard to breathe, he's going to fire you- and your favorite coworker? "IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT YOU TWO DO MOST OF THE WORK AT THIS STORE WHILE YOUR COWORKERS SLACK OFF, YET YOUR PAY DOES NOT REFLECT THIS. AS SUCH, I AM GIVING YOU BOTH A RAISE, AND NATALIE, YOU ARE PROMOTED TO MANAGER." Oh.

The GM, Leticia, steps forward, poorly hidden disgust on her face as she gestures to you and protests, "That useless lazy idiot is already recieving the cap pay for crew."

Papyrus grins. "THEN, THE WAY I SEE IT, WE HAVE TWO CHOICES. RAISE THE CAP PAY, OR MAKE THEM A MANAGER AS WELL."

Leticia grumbles. Your face is blank throughout the exchange, unable to tell what the proper emote for this situation would be. "Raise the cap pay." She finally says unwillingly. Heh, you knew she wouldn't want you or Natalie to be a manager.

"SPLENDID CHOICE! WE WILL RAISE THE CAP PAY." Papyrus's grin becomes sinister. "NOW, AS TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FIRED." He names off three highschoolers and one middle-aged woman. And then he names Leticia herself. You choke on air, surprised but not at all disappointed.

She stares at him in confusion. "Yes?"

"OH, DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? I THOUGHT I WAS BEING VERY CLEAR. YOU ARE FIRED." He says.

"Y-you can't-" She protests, but he lifts a hand.

"LAST I CHECKED, I AM THE OWNER OF THIS STORE. YOU ARE QUITE POSSIBLY THE WORST GENERAL MANAGER I HAVE EVER HAD THE DISPLEASURE OF WORKING WITH."

You break the cold silence that follows with a sharp laugh, then cover your mouth, hot with mortification. Papyrus mercifully ignores you. "I BELIEVE THAT SETTLES EVERYTHING. YOU MAY RETURN TO THE STORE IN A WEEK TO COLLECT YOUR LAST CHECKS, BUT THEN YOU WILL NOT RETURN. EVERYONE ELSE, WORK HARD AND I MAY CONSIDER GIVING OUT MORE RAISES IN FUTURE."

Everyone files back to work, or home. Papyrus stops you with a hand on your shoulder. "YOU DID WELL THIS WEEK. I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU A MANAGER YET, THOUGH, UNTIL YOU CAN PROVE YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND WORK CONSISTENTLY WITHOUT FAINTING."

"Th-there's no need to promote me." Your face and neck heat. You don't deserve that much responsibility.

He scowls. "_I_DECIDE WHETHER THERE'S A NEED OR NOT." Then, "HANDS."

You wince but obey, holding out your scar-pocked hands for him to inspect. "It- it's accidental." You mumble, defensively lying. "I'm- I'm clumsy."

"_CLUMSY_." He repeats slowly. He doesn't buy it. You shrink and try to pull your hands back, but he keeps a grip on them. Green fire wraps around your skin from his gloved palms and burns the scars away, leaving healthy skin behind. "DON'T ATTEMPT TO LIE TO ME. IF I SEE ANY NEW SCARS AFTER THIS, I WILL SUSPEND YOU UNTIL YOU SEE A DOCTOR FOR YOUR FAINTING EPISODES. I SHOULD DO THAT ANYWAY, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO FIX IT YOURSELF FIRST." He lets go of your hands and you stare at the lack of pockmarked skin, acid screaming in your mind to obtain new scars, fresh pain, as quickly as possible.

There's no way to hide any new marks from him, though. Unless you started getting creative. You don't like the sight of your own blood, so cutting yourself is out of the question, but maybe you can drip oil onto your ankles with a bit of luck and coordination.

You've almost made up your mind to rebel and do that, when Papyrus interrupts you while you're taking an order. "H-HERE." He snaps. You turn to him and he's holding a little plastic container of brightly colored rubber bands.

"What." You say.

"YOU- You Keep Harming Yourself. So. This Is A Safer Way To Do It. NO NEED TO THANK ME, AS I AM JUST THAT MAGNIFICENT!" He thrusts the container into your hands and stomps away as you stare after him, unsure what to think.

Your hands clench finally, and you slam the container down a bit too hard, veins buzzing as your eyes sting. It takes a couple tries to open the lid as your hands shake. But you get it open, and then snatch out a purple band and pull it onto your wrist. Draw it back and feel the satisfying sting. You decide you want to be his friend.


	2. Giving Everything To Numb The Burns

Papyrus's fast food restaurant is the best place in the city. And that's putting it gently. The prices are affordable. The food is marketed to both Fae and Humans. And the hygiene is probably the cleanest in the state. Ever since he took over and whipped everyone into shape, business has boomed. One of the old regulars, another skeleton Fae, leans on the counter and banters with one of your more Fae-friendly coworkers-Andrew, you think his name is. The customer is Papyrus's brother, you gathered, as he's always bragging about and praising your boss.

The brother's brags are merited. It's almost peaceful knowing that Papyrus is here, in control, and nothing will go wrong that he can't fix. When you do get stressed, when the voices get too bad or the customers piss you off, you snap rubber bands against your skin and let the sting calm you down. You've gotten better at making sure you drink water and eat enough food so that you're _less_likely to fall down. Slightly less.

"Hey!" Your own customer snaps. You try to focus on him again, grinning, but your vacant eyes land past his shoulder and remain there, your head lolling to one side. "Damn idiot." He mutters. "Hey! Where's your manager! This service is-" He curses you out. You try to keep your smile pasted on your face, but frustrated tears start to prick at your eyes, your fists trembling with the desire to punch something.

A gloved hand rests lightly on your shoulder. "GO BACK TO THE CREW ROOM AND SIT DOWN." Papyrus tells you, gentler than his usual tone. You nod and your head keeps nodding absently as you wander away to obey. Behind you, Papyrus talks the customer down from his rage. He's actually pretty good at pretending to be pleasant and cheerful when he's around customers.

You flop onto a chair and fall catatonic with your head on the table. The familiar sound of boots stomping on the ground approaches and you try to focus on Papyrus's scowling skull. "DID YOU EAT ANYTHING TODAY?" He demands. Oh. Oops. You shake your head. "HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING?" Shake your head again, trying to look guilty. He glares at you with his arms crossed over his chest, then stomps his foot as he shouts, "_WHY AREN'T YOU TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF_?"

You wince, then mutter with a touch of resentment, "doesn't matter, 'm not worth it."

"AM _I _WORTH IT?" He demands. You blink in confusion. "THE CORRECT ANSWER IS YES, YES I AM VERY MUCH WORTH IT, BECAUSE I AM YOUR GREAT AND POWERFUL BOSS, AND I REQUIRE YOUR EXPERTISE AND DETERMINATION TO ASSIST ME IN IMPROVING THIS _FARCE_, THIS _DISGUSTING GREASY__MOCKERY_, OF A PROPER RESTAURANT! SO IF YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FOR YOU, THEN DO IT FOR ME!" He stomps his foot one last time. "UNDERSTOOD?"

"Yeh-yes, boss!" You yelp. "S-sorry!"

"I FORGIVE YOU. GET YOUR JUG AND DRINK. I'LL HAVE SOMEONE BRING YOU A SANDWICH."

"I-" You stammer, embarrassment heating your face. "I don't- have any, uh, money."

"THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE." He replies dismissively. "YOU ARE ONE OF MY BEST WORKERS WHEN YOU'RE STABLE. I AM NOT AN IDIOT, I AM QUITE INTELLIGENT, IN FACT, SO OF COURSE I WOULD MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOU THAT WAY."

"Thank you." You mumble, appreciative of his care. His cheekbones tinge with pink and he harrumphs, then stomps away. Tears sting in your eyes again as the voices rise within you, tearing down the flimsy peace. They want you to starve. They want you to die.

You grab your jug and defiantly gulp down water. Natalie comes back and hands you a burger, and you tear into it greedily. She sits down with you, smirking. "So~ Mr. Eleos likes~ you." She says smugly and the words grate on your already torn nerves.

"H-he does not." You mumble with your cheeks full of partially chewed food.

"This bitch." Natalie says fondly. "I mean, he is a freak, so I don't see how you could like him back, but it's cute how he favors you."

Your fists tighten around your burger, crushing it. "You're a bitch." You mutter back emotionlessly, torn between wanting to defend Papyrus but not wanting to make Natalie dislike you.

"Anyway, you wanna see a movie after? I hear there's a good horror out now." She grins and names the movie. Your eyes flare sharply at the title, since you've heard about it, heard how the villain is another 'insane' person. You hate the horror genre, as much as you can hate anything. Not because it's scary, no, 'horror' never bothered you. You hate it because it's boring and insulting.

"No." You reply coldly. "Go back to work, gnat."

She pouts. "I'm the manager here."

"Do you want me to call Papyrus?" One side of your mouth quirks up in a dry smirk.

"_Ew_, you _do_like him." She laughs. "That's okay, though! You'll have to give me all the juicy details!"

"Of- of what?" You ask, nervous.

"Of, y'know," She makes a hole with her pointer and thumb, then pokes the middle finger of her other hand through it. "_That_."

Your face heats violently. "_No_." You snap, then stuff the last of your burger in your mouth before you can give in to the urge to punch her. She grumbles but leaves.

####

Around three weeks have passed since Papyrus bought your restaurant. You finally manage to scrape enough money together to buy another volume of your favorite manga. You have most of the series by now. _Delicious In Dungeon_, or _Dungeon Meshi_as it's also called. The next volume will be released soon and you're excited for it, but you won't have enough money to buy it right away, between rent and bills.

You don't have a vehicle. You walk every day to work and back, through rain, through snow, through the burning hot sun. At least work is close to your apartment. In your time off, you just collapse into your bean bag and sleep or read or listen to music, trying to block out the vitriolic voices. You're old enough to drink. But from experience you know your intrusive thoughts and loopiness will only get worse when you do.

So you never go out. You stay inside and mope and cry like the pathetic worthless idiot you are. And then you go to work, the promise of physical exertion being the only reason you're able to get out of your bean bag every day. Natalie tries to get you to hang out with her, but you're overwhelmed with despairing hopelessness every time you try to contemplate doing so. You're not worth the effort. Nothing about you is worth the effort.

You snap rubber bands absently on your wrist, lazily trying to figure out exactly where it hurts most. You feel sick at the thought of eating or drinking, you'd rather die, but Papyrus- he said he wants you to take care of yourself. For him. He- he wants, no he _needs_you to take care of yourself. So you do, using him and your job as a last ditch excuse to keep living.

"Give me the money!"

You stare blankly at the robber pointing a gun at you. "Hey, everyone, get back." You wave a hand to your coworkers, forcibly calm despite your pounding heart, despite the dryness in your mouth, the hunger, the _thirst_for blood. The deeper-rooted apathy for death keeps you calm. Face the robber and smile. "No."

"I'll shoot, idiot! Just give me the money!"

Your fist tightens around the knife in your pocket, your body loosely tensing to leap over the counter and stab her. "Okay, shoot." You tell her, still smiling.

"Creepy bastard." She mutters. "I will, if you don't hand it over!"

"Go ahead. You're not getting a single penny." You're hyperfocused on both her and your plan.

"Y-you think I can't, don't you! W-well, you're wrong! I've killed before! Don't underestimate me! I'm giving you to the count of ten to open the goddamned drawer and hand over the money! One! Two!" You smile at her, refusing to obey, but unable to move to attack either. "Three! Four!" Behind her, the door opens and Papyrus stomps in. She doesn't notice. Disappointment trickles down your spine. "Five! Six!" He draws a curved sword from thin air and stalks up behind her. "Seven! Eight! Nine!" Her finger drops to the trigger.

"DROP THE GUN." Papyrus orders, his sabre resting against her neck.

"I- I'll shoot!" She yelps. "I will!"

"LET ME REPHRASE THAT. DROP THE GUN, OR MY WORKER HERE WILL BE SCRUBBING YOUR BLOOD FROM THE FLOOR." He says darkly.

She shudders and lowers the gun, placing it on the counter. Papyrus draws back the sabre, then you wince as a thick bone suddenly appears and slams into the back of her head. She crumples to the ground. Your eyes are drawn to the steel resting in your reach. You could- you could use it.

"DON'T TOUCH." Papyrus growls and your hand flinches back. "NATALIE." He calls. Natalie peeks her head around the corner. "CALL THE POLICE." She nods, frightened, and disappears again.

Now that the tension is over, giddiness follows. "Th-that was amazing." You murmur. He scowls at you.

"I AM AMAZING, YES, BUT _YOU _WERE A _COMPLETE _AND **_UTTER _****_MORON_**!" He shouts. You look down, shame heating your neck. Papyrus stomps around the counter and grips your chin, forcing you to face his ire. "WHAT THE _HELL_WERE YOU _THINKING_? THAT WAS _PATHETIC_! DO YOU NOT KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT SELF-DEFENSE? _OR DO YOU JUST NOT CARE_!"

Tears sting in your eyes. You- you realize now that you _wanted_her to shoot. You wanted her to kill you. "I- _I'm__sor_-_sorry_." You sob.

He continues to rant, but this time includes your coworkers in his fury. "SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE HELL _NOBODY_CALLED THE POLICE! IS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AN IDIOT AS WELL AS A COWARD?" Sobs shake your shoulders and tears stuff your nose and drip from your chin onto his leather glove as he keeps a tight grip on you. "AND YOU!" His piercing glare returns to burrow into your eyes. "THERE'S A PANIC BUTTON BENEATH THE REGISTER! WHY DID YOU NOT PRESS IT AS SOON AS THE SUSPICIOUS PERSON ENTERED? DID YOU _WANT_TO GET SHOT?"

"_M_-_maybe_." You snarl, suddenly bitter. He lets go abruptly and you cross your arms, glaring at the floor and sniffling as your knees tremble.

"SO YOU'RE TELLING ME YOUR PLAN WAS TO BE KILLED." He says, his voice dangerously low and almost void of inflection.

"Yeah?" You snap foolishly. "So what? I'm a useless piece of junk anyway!"

His fists clench and his sockets narrow sharply. "I AM INTELLIGENT AND UTILITARIAN. WOULD I HAVE BOTHERED TO KEEP SOMEONE I DEEM _USELESS_ALIVE AND HEALTHY?"

You freeze, lost for words. "U-uh-" You say intelligently.

"**_NO_!**" He booms. "I WOULD NOT! I WOULD HAVE LET YOU _DIE_IF I DIDN'T C- IF YOU WEREN'T MY FA- _IF- IF YOU WEREN'T A GOOD WORKER__!_" His cheekbones flush to a violent shade of red as he yells. You stare at him, stricken by a sharp pain in your chest.

"I'm- I'm sorry." You choke on the apology, knowing it's not enough and you start to sob again. "_S-sorry, I'm sorry_."

He glares at you. Police rush in and grab the unconscious woman from the ground, cuffing her. One comes up to Papyrus, wanting to talk to him. "GO TO THE OFFICE AND WAIT FOR ME." Papyrus orders sternly. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU." It's a threat and a promise. He's not done with you, he's going to keep you alive.

"Y-yes, sir." You sob, struggling to regain composure, then stagger to the office, collapse into a ball on the floor, and wail silently into your arms.

Finally, his stomping footsteps approach. You hide your face as your shoulders keep shaking uncontrollably. "STAND UP." He tells you.

You stumble to your feet and gaze blankly at his face, erecting a glass wall between the tension wanting to burst out of you in a mass of wailed apologies and his severe anger. "Yes, sir." Your voice shakes.

He growls, "DO YOU THINK THE MONEY IS WORTH MORE THAN YOUR LIFE?"

You stare at him, remaining blank and emotionless. "N-no, sir." You lie.

His hand lands on your head in a harsh cuff, which somehow makes you feel better despite the sting. "NO! IT IS NOT! NOW COME HERE." He opens his arms and looks away, red once more tinging his face. "I FORGIVE YOU, BUT YOU'D BETTER NOT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE."

You approach carefully and then something inside you snaps as his arms wrap tightly around you, the tension leaks out of your body, the glass wall shatters, and you weep softly into the tattered red scarf he always wears.

You're not sure how long he hugs you. It feels like an eternity, but it ends all too soon, and he steps back again, letting you loose. "NO MORE IDIOTIC STUNTS LIKE THIS EVER AGAIN!" He snarls softly. "N-NOW GO HOME AND RELAX, YOU- _HUMANS _AREN'T USED TO DANGER LIKE I AM." A rattling sound starts softly.

"Yes, boss." A smile wavers on your face. He pats your head and the giddiness grows. "Thank you. Y-you- you're really amazing." You mumble the last sentence but he hears it and his skull flushes red again. He's blushing, you realize dumbly.

"GO." He snaps, and the rattling grows louder. His hands tremble. You frown.

"Are- are _you_\- okay?" You ask gently.

"Y-YES, OF COURSE I'M OKAY! I'M AMAZINGLY OKAY!" He snarls, then looks away. "JUST. JUST LET ME HAVE A MOMENT. I'M FINE."

"Okay, boss." You don't push. "Want some water?"

"YES, THANK YOU." He says. You go out to get a cup of water and everyone stares at you, either in bafflement or scorn, you can't really tell.

When you return, he's spinning on the spinny chair and humming to himself as he snaps a yellow rubber band around the bones that make his forearm. You place the cup on the desk. "Thank you, sir." You say but he ignores you. A soft frown of concern crosses your face but you turn to leave.

"THANK YOU." He growls after you and you look over your shoulder to grin brightly at him. He blushes again and grumbles something incoherent.

"Sure, Papyrus."


	3. Addicted To The Losing Fight

"Good morning, boss." You groan blearily as you trudge onto the floor the next day. He glances to you briefly and seems about to say something, but then clicks his jaws and scowls as he stomps off into another area without answering. Great, _somebody's_in a bad mood.

The morning rush comes and trickles away again, your coworkers are more help than they used to be, but you still end up snapping out orders more often than Natalie, who's supposed to be the manager here. You basically already do the work of a manager. At least now you're getting paid like one too. Papyrus keeps avoiding you. You're not sure why.

"Hey," You corner him in the stock room and he stares at the ceiling. "What's wrong? Are you mad at me?"

"WH-WHAT GIVES YOU THAT IDEA? I AM PERFECTLY FINE, THANK YOU! GO BACK TO WORK."

It's obvious he's not going to tell you. And you refuse to speculate. Maybe nothing is wrong. Or maybe you're just being completely clueless again. Your fists clench. "No. Something's wrong, Pa-"

"I BELIEVE I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME _BOSS_." He snarls, then sidesteps you and marches away. You stare blankly after him. Okay, then.

"Papyrus!" You call and he stops short. "I thought- thought you were my friend. If I don't know what's wrong, how am I supposed to fix it?"

"THERE IS NOTHING WRONG." He says coldly with his back to you. "AND WE ARE NOT _FRIENDS_. YOU ARE MY SUBORDINATE AND NOTHING MORE! DON'T THINK YOU CAN TRICK ME INTO GETTING _ATTACHED_!"

"I'm not trying to trick you." You approach him. "I just thought- I thought you cared-"

"Y-YOU WERE WRONG." Papyrus snaps and stomps away, leaving you to collect the pieces of your shattered image of him.

Has he just been pretending to care the whole time, or maybe was it out of obligation? Were his words all empty? You snap a rubber band and glare at the floor for a moment before stomping after him. "Pa-"

"_BOSS_." He cuts you off.

You huff, then say straight-faced, "You can call me Shion, no need for this boss nonsense."

He splutters in outrage. Maybe that wasn't smart. But since when have you ever been smart? "Y-YOU! STOP IT! JUST STOP! I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND, AND I DEFINITELY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU!" His skull flushes crimson as he snaps at you.

"O-oh." You deflate and blink back tears. "Okay, then. I'm- I'm sorry for being troublesome." Stride past him to go to the restroom so you can cry in privacy.

"WAIT-" He cries as you're almost around the corner. You don't obey. He doesn't follow you.

####

You manage to avoid him for the rest of your shift. It's not hard, since he seems to be avoiding you too. You can't believe you were idiotic enough to think he actually cared about you. He's even told you explicitly why he was being kind to you: because you're useful. Not because he likes you. Of course he doesn't like you. Why would he do a stupid thing like that?

Natalie comes up to you later in the afternoon and begs you to stay late to help her with the incoming truck. You agree, having nothing better to do. "Are you traumatized?" She asks.

"Wh-what, no?"

"Oh. Good. _God_, I'd be traumatized if someone pointed a gun at me." She says. Something clicks into place in the mental puzzle that is Papyrus.

He's _traumatized_. That's why he's pushing you away. You've even seen this trope in anime, he's being a _tsundere_, but tsundere-ness doesn't work in real life, it only succeeds in alienating people. You clench your fists and glare with determination. "Thanks, Natalie."

You don't get a chance to talk to him until later in the night, however, as you're putting boxes away in the freezer. Natalie and Andrew remain outside to close the store while you and Papyrus move the truck order.

"Papyrus," You start, then stop. What are you going to say? Isn't he _right_to avoid getting attached, especially considering your- condition? Aren't you being selfish? "_Boss_." You correct, and he glances at you.

"WHAT?"

"I- uh." You can't promise you won't kill yourself or hurt yourself. You can't promise anything. You have nothing to offer him. "So-sorry."

"FOR WHAT." He says tiredly. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE. I- I AM JUST-"

"A tsundere? Yeah, I know." You say drily. "But no, I'm sorry for trying to- to be your friend. You're right, it's not safe for you to get attached to me."

"I WILL DECIDE FOR MYSELF WHETHER THERE IS A RISK AND WHETHER THAT RISK IS WORTH IT!" He retorts, surprising you. "I- I WAS GOING TO SAY I AM JUST BEING CAUTIOUS BECAUSE MY GREATNESS IS AS SHARP AS GLASS AND WILL HURT YOU IF YOU GET TOO CLOSE."

You stop short. Wait. You had it all wrong? He's being a tsundere- to keep _you_safe? _Or both. _"I can handle myself just fine." You reply stiffly.

Papyrus gives you a sharp look. "PROVE IT, THEN." He says.

"I will!" You reply hotly. "Just give me a chance!"

"DON'T COMPLAIN IF YOU GET HURT, SINCE YOU ASKED FOR IT!" He replies, just as hotly.

"I won't! Don't- don't try to _shelter_me!"

"FINE!" He glares.

"Fine!" You glare right back.

The door clicks, being locked from the outside. They must be finishing closing- wait, no, this isn't good, you're stuck in here! You rush to the door and slam your hand on it, yelling. Papyrus stares at the door, looking suddenly haunted.

"AT LEAST IT ISN'T SNOWING." He mutters to himself. You laugh sharply at the absurdity.

"No, but it's _freezing_, and I don't have a coat. You may be fine, since you're a Fae, but I'm a pathetic weak human." You snap, hysteria rising in your throat; you're trapped. You're trapped. The terror pulses in every nerve, fraying your senses.

"BREATHE." He orders and you curse your weakness, struggling to obey. He stomps up beside you and searches the sides of the door. After moving aside a box, you see what he's looking for, a red emergency lever. He yanks it.

It breaks. Of course. Why did you even bother thinking for a moment that it would work. "Wow." You say in a last-ditch effort to remain sane despite the situation. "That was anticlimactic."

Papyrus growls in reply, "THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO BUT WAIT. MY MAGIC WON'T HAVE AN EFFECT." His bones start to rattle.

That was not what you wanted to hear. The voices shout in your head, filling your mind with horror and hatred. You hate being trapped. It recalls times of too-white walls and too-tight restraints. Times you'd much rather forget. "O-okay." You try to remain calm, breathing. "So, uh, do you like weapons?" You need to distract yourself- and him, too. Try to relax.

The rattling quiets. "YES, I DO! MY FAVORED WEAPON IS A TALWAR, AND I EVEN HAVE IT IN A PHYSICAL FORM!" He draws it from thin air to show you.

Despite your situation, your love of pointy sharp things calms you down as you take the talwar. It's made of bone, or so it feels like. "Magic can have physical forms?"

"DUH." He says. Oh, right, he's made of magic.

"I meant- uh, attacks."

"YES, THERE IS A RITUAL TO GIVE AN ATTACK A PHYSICAL FORM. IT WAS ACTUALLY ADAPTED FROM THE RITUAL USED FOR CHILDBIRTH."

"Woah, cool." The talwar weighs heavy in your hands. Papyrus takes it back. He has to be strong if he holds it with so little apparent effort.

"I AM COOL, AREN'T I!" He preens.

"Wait, can you make a lockpick?" You shiver in the frigid air.

"POSSIBLY!" He replies, then focuses his magic.

"Cause if you can make a lockpick, we can pick the lock for the outer door, I don't think this door has a hole." You ramble. Papyrus gives you a sharp look.

"THE OUTER DOOR DOESN'T LOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE, SHION." He says slowly. And then you realize at the same time he does and both rush for the other door.

It opens. You stumble out into the relatively warm night air. "Whoo!" You hoot, and then stumble. "We- we're such idiots." You say, and flop to the ground, laying there, trembling from tension and cold.

"SPEAK FOR YOURSELF." He protests. "I MERELY- FORGOT. THAT THE OUTER DOOR EXISTED."

"Idiot."

"I'M GOING TO IGNORE YOUR INSOLENCE THIS ONCE! AREN'T YOU GOING TO GET UP?"

"Nah."

"I'M NOT CARRYING YOU!"

"Didn't ask." You say. "I'll be fine."

"LIKE HELL I'M LEAVING YOU IN THIS CREEPY PARKING LOT BY YOURSELF. GET UP."

You struggle to rise, but fail and settle for curling on the ground and closing your exhausted eyes. Tense up as strong bony arms slip under your knees and shoulders, then you're lifted effortlessly into the air. "I'm not a lost puppy." You growl, keeping your eyes closed and hiding a smile.

"AREN'T YOU?" He responds, a smirk evident in his voice. "YOU ACT LIKE ONE."

"Do not."

"DO TOO."

"Whatever, I don't want your pity." You want his friendship. Pity is counterproductive.

"I'M NOT PITYING YOU. I'M FORCING YOU TO WALK." He says and dumps you onto your feet with only that as warning. Your eyes snap open and you stumble but catch yourself before you can fall over. "I DID SAY I'M NOT CARRYING YOU." He preens, then takes your arm and starts dragging you in the opposite direction of your apartment.

"Uh. I can walk home myself, boss." You tell him.

"IT'S ABOUT TO RAIN." He tells you. You look up into the heavy clouds blocking out the stars.

"I'll be fine."

"MY PLACE IS CLOSER."

"Aw, I thought you said you don't care." You tease with an underlying note of bitterness. You can't see the color of his skull in the darkness, but you imagine he's turning red.

"I- I DON'T, N-NOT ABOUT YOU! B-BUT I CAN'T HAVE MY WORKER GETTING SICK!"

"Sure, boss." You say, stung. Yank your arm from his grasp and turn around. "See ya."

"F-FINE, DON'T LISTEN TO ME, I'M JUST YOUR BOSS, AFTER ALL."

"Yep. Okay." You say, then turn and blep at him as you walk backwards. "If you were my friend, I might listen."

He's under the halo of a streetlight, so you see exactly how red his skull flushes. You grin and spin again to walk to your apartment, which is twenty minutes away.

The clouds burst open suddenly, dropping their payloads of thick raindrops. Rain doesn't particularly bother you, but it will be a pain to go to work tomorrow in wet clothes.

An umbrella opens over you and the rain patters on the top. You stop short. "MY OFFER STANDS. AND- I _SUPPOSE_\- I WILL _CONSIDER_ALLOWING YOU TO BE MY FRIEND. YOUR DESIRE IS EXPECTED, OF COURSE, AS I AM SO AMAZING!" Papyrus relents.

"Wow, thanks." You say, still slightly bitter about his tsundere act, but then sigh. You don't want to ask him to walk you to your apartment, not when he'd have to walk all the way back by himself. "I- uh. Thanks for letting me come home with you."

He starts to walk towards his apartment and you follow, huddling under the umbrella beside him. It turns out to only be a five-minute walk away. Papyrus ushers you into his apartment complex and then barrels up the spiral staircase. You leap after him, panting by the time he reaches the fifth floor.

"WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL AT THIS PART." He tells you when you catch up to him. "SANS ALWAYS HAS A PRANK HIDDEN SOMEWHERE AROUND THE HALL TO OUR DOOR."

He enters the door to the hall and then starts poking at the bushes that line the walls, examining the pictures, and doing acrobatics.

You walk behind him, careful to not get in his way. There seems to be no prank, and you wonder briefly if Sans's prank on his brother is precisely this, making him _think_there's a prank.

But then Papyrus screeches in outrage at the water-fountain. "HOW COULD HE PUT CYANIDE IN THE PIPES? SAAAANS!" He shouts. A door opens and Papyrus's brother peeks out, his pemanent grin blazing brightly. "SANS. ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL PEOPLE?"

"maybe." Sans replies noncommittally.

"CLEAN THAT OUT, SANS, OR I'LL REPORT IT TO OUR LANDLORD. HOW DID YOU EVEN GET CYANIDE IN THERE? NEVERMIND, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW- SANS, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU NAKED?" Papyrus covers your eyes as Sans lets the door swing open.

"cause i was getting cozy in bed before you started waking the whole hall."

Papyrus snaps without removing his hands from your face, "SANS, YOU INDECENT LAZYASS, GO PUT ON CLOTHES, WE HAVE COMPANY!"

"okay, bro."

"NOW!"

"okay, bro."

"SANS. WHY ARE YOU NOT MOVING."

"you didn't tell me where to go."

"NYYYYEEEEHHHHH!" His hands leave your eyes but he keeps blocking your view by stomping up to Sans. The door slams closed, leaving you outside to ponder why a skeleton requires modesty, lacking any parts deemed sexual by huma- oh. Maybe skeleton culture deems other parts sexual.

The door opens again and Papyrus gestures for you to enter. "I APOLOGIZE ON MY BROTHER'S BEHALF." He says in annoyance.

''I forgive him." You reply grandly and walk through the door into Papyrus's home.

"YOU CAN SLEEP ON THE FLOOR." He says. "I'LL GET SOME PILLOWS AND BLANKETS."

"oh, are we making a pillow fort?" Sans says behind you. You don't react to his sudden appearance.

"N-NO?" Papyrus says in a strangled sort of tone. "SH-SHUT UP, SANS! UNDYNE MIGHT HEAR!"

"Fuhuhu! I heard pillow fort! NGAAHHH!" Another fae leaps out of a room which appears to be the kitchen, and she tackles Papyrus, noogying him.

"UNDYNE! STOP IT!" Papyrus wails and struggles to escape. Undyne's golden eye falls on you and she drops Papyrus abruptly to stalk around you.

"So. This the punk?" Her eye narrows and she shoves your shoulder. You stand your ground impassively. "Fuhuhu, do they, uh, emote at all?"

"SOMETIMES." Papyrus says, glaring at Undyne and adjusting his mussed clothing. "WHEN THEY WANT TO."

"Nope, this is it. This is my only face." You tell her.

"FUHUHU, you sound like fun to play poker with, squirt!"

"Just like Papyrus's only faces are 'scowl' or 'resting bitch face'." You continue.

Undyne cackles. "Fuhu, you gonna fight them for your honor, Paps?"

"NO, THEY'RE COMPLETELY CORRECT." He scowls as though to prove your point. "UNDYNE, THIS IS SHION, MY EMPLOYEE. SHION, THIS IS UNDYNE, MY WORST RIVAL."

"He means _best friend_." Undyne stage-whispers. Papyrus cuffs her and she cackles again.

"_WORST. RIVAL_." He hisses. "YOU JUST WAIT AND SEE, ALREADY MY STORE IS BOOMING, WHILE YOURS? YOURS IS PATHETIC. YOU CAN'T EVEN COOK!"

"NGAAAHH, BUT I'M IMBUING MY WORKERS WITH MY PASSION, PAPYRUS!" Undyne screeches. "TELL ME YOU'RE DOING THAT, TOO! TELL ME YOU'RE LIVING UP TO MY LEGACY!"

"UGGHHH," Papyrus groans. "NOT THIS AGAIN. SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME, SANS? ALL BECAUSE YOU HAD TO MENTION A-"

"PILLOW FORT!" Undyne shrieks and claps her hands, her grin baring several rows of long sharp teeth, like a shark. "I'll get the pillows!"

You watch, amused, until Undyne drags you to her room to find pillows and blankets. She rips through her closet, throwing everything from shurikens to katanas to a kitchen sink out onto the floor. Then she turns and grabs up a katana, a wicked smirk on her face. "Face me! Prove your worth!" She yells and rushes at you with the sword.

The flat of the blade smacks on your ribs as you flinch. She glowers at you. "That was pathetic! Why didn't you fight back?"

"No weapon," You say, with the _duh_evident in your tone.

"Ugh! Why does Paps like you?"

"He- uh, doesn't?" You say uncertainly.

"I mean, he brought you here for a sleepover, so he has to at least like you a _tiny_bit!"

"Dunno why he would. There's nothing to like." You mutter.

The katana flashes out again and smacks your arm, hard enough to bruise. "No talking like that." Undyne says, deadly serious. "You gotta have faith in yourself, squirt, even if nobody else does. You gotta be passionate! Fill yourself with passion and scream! Like this, NGAAAAAHHHH!" Her passionate scream rattles the door.

"Okay." You say, copying Sans's noncommittal tone of voice.

Undyne glares at you. "Look, punk, Paps has been through a lot. Don't- don't do anything that could hurt him."

"Noted." You don't have any passion to give. And he doesn't like you, so there's no way you can hurt him anyway.

"This is a bad idea." She mutters. "Okay, I'm gonna level with you. Papyrus isn't- he isn't _healthy_. And he refuses to get help. And you seem even _less_healthy. One or both of you will end up hurting the other. If you can convince him to get help, and if you get help for yourself, great, but until then I'm not giving my blessing to this friendship."

Your vision tunnels, veins pounding with restrained tension. "We don't need help." You growl. "We're both fine." Papyrus is fine. You're fine. You don't need help.

"It's cute you're mad, but I'm serious, you two need meds and therapy." Undyne snaps back.

You're about to protest that you're _not_mad, you don't _feel_mad, you don't feel anything, but. Maybe you are mad. You bare your teeth and growl. Undyne smacks you.

"What's your deal, huh, squirt?" She demands as you rub your stinging cheek. "Paps brags about how you're one of his best workers, but I don't see that, all I see is an apathetic _brat_!"

"_Sorry_." You growl, sarcasm dripping like acid from your tongue.

Undyne smacks you again. "Fight back! Don't just stand there and take it!" She yells, then punches you in the gut. You hack breathlessly and drop to the floor. Undyne sits and you curl into a ball. "Don't just roll over and give up! Fight back, Alphys-!"

She stops abruptly and stares into the distance. You rise on your hands, then use her distraction to headbutt her, knocking her back, and claw at her throat, snarling. "Fuhuhu." She laughs softly as you wrestle her down. "You _do_have some fight in you." Then she grabs your wrists and pins you effortlessly, her fiery red hair falling over her shoulder. Your chest heaves as your heart pounds in your throat.

"WHERE ARE THE PILLOWS, UNDY- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY GUEST?" Papyrus storms in. Undyne laughs and rolls off of you. You get up with a quiet moan of pain.

"Just testing their grit." She slaps you on the back roughly. "They pass. _Barely_." Papyrus gives her a suspicious glare, but leaves again. Undyne growls in your ear, "Don't breathe a word of this to him, brat, or you're dead."

"Who's Alphys?" You retort.

She stares blankly past you. Then shakes her head. "Someone who was a good friend." She says grimly, then drags you out of her room by the back of your shirt.

The pillow fort starts out as a couple blankets and pillows in the living room. And then it becomes a massive undertaking, with bones and spears holding the blankets up and pillows forming the walls. It stretches across the entire floor. Papyrus huffs and claps his hands together. "THERE."

Undyne grabs him and drags him into it as he protests loudly. Sans has been buried somewhere inside a long time ago and is probably still there. You duck inside and crawl to a corner and curl up in a nest of blankets and pillows. Papyrus finally manages to escape Undyne's clutches and crawls over to your corner. "HI." He says. "UNDYNE WASN'T BULLYING YOU, WAS SHE?"

"A bit." You say. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"What did I tell you, brat?" Undyne crawls up too and whisper-shrieks at you. "You're dead!"

Papyrus scowls at her. "NO KILLING MY EMPLOYEE." He says. "OR BULLYING. NONE OF THAT EITHER."

"Aw, c'mon, Paps, not even a little bit?" She whines.

"NOT EVEN THAT."

You snort sleepily. Undyne cackles, but gives you a death glare with her one good eye. "G'mornin'." You murmur and wiggle deeper into the blankets. Papyrus flops beside you and Undyne curls up on your other side.


	4. Touch The Northern Lights

Papyrus wakes suddenly with a jolt of awareness and knifes his elbow into the squishy person caging him with their arms. The human yelps and lets go. Papyrus sits up and yanks them off balance by their collar before they can scurry out of reach. "HOW DARE YOU!"

"Sorry!" They squeak. "You were just so cuddly- _eep, sorry_!"

Papyrus bats them on the head repeatedly, "NYYYYEEEEHHH!" He shrieks. "I AM NOT CUDDLY! AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE LIBERTIES WITH YOUR GREAT AND POWERFUL BOSS!"

Shion laughs helplessly as they try in vain to escape their punishment. Papyrus puffs up, ready to screech at them again for their insolence, but then realizes he's never heard them really laugh before. "I- I'm really sorry, boss, I swear I didn't mean to, I just move a lot in my sleep and you got in the way."

He cuffs them one last time and they snort, then try to cuff him back. Taken by surprise, he twists their arm. "BEG FOR MERCY." He growls.

"Nope." They reply defiantly, struggling to make him release them. "I don't beg."

He lets go. "THAT ATTITUDE WOULD CAUSE YOU A GREAT AMOUNT OF PAIN IF YOU WERE UNDERGROUND."

They shrug dismissively. "So?"

"Y-YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TERRIFIED AT THE PROSPECT!" Papyrus complains. "YOU SHOULD BE SHIVERING IN YOUR BLANKETS, WONDERING JUST HOW SLOWLY I COULD KILL YOU!"

"Nah." They flop back into the blankets. Papyrus has only seen bunnies flop like that before and look so peaceful and unpeturbed.

"WHY AREN'T YOU SCARED OF ME?" He demands. "YOU SHOULD BE EXCEEDINGLY FRIGHTENED OF MY SKELETAL NATURE, MY COMBAT PROWESS, AND MY SHEER POWER!"

"Nah." They're starting to remind him of Sans. They open one eye and look at him with their piercing gaze. "You're cute and cuddly."

"NYEHHH!" He screeches furiously. "I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT! DO NOT INSULT ME LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!" The only reason he doesn't cuff them again for their insolence is because they look so unthreatening with their belly and neck exposed.

"It's an insult?" They ask.

"YES! _CUTE_MEANS POWERLESS AND NAIVE! IT MEANS YOU'RE FREE EXP!" Papyrus snaps.

"Oh. Sorry." They say, and actually attempt to look apologetic. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I- I'M GOING TO MAKE BREAKFAST. DO YOU LIKE EGGS? I'M MAKING EGGS!" Papyrus leaps up. This has the unfortunate effect of knocking the whole pillow fort down around him. He tactically retreats to the kitchen before Undyne can rage at him for ruining the fort.

Eggs. He's making eggs. He doesn't care that Shion isn't scared of him. He doesn't care that their laugh is- enjoyable, and he definitely doesn't care to hear it again.

"Punk!" Undyne shouts. "What the f-mph-" She's muffled, then shrieks, "OH, YOU WANNA PILLOW FIGHT? YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THE DAY YOU WERE BORN, BRAT!"

Papyrus peeks into the living room, which has become a war zone. Shion dodges and deflects the pillows Undyne whips at them, a determined light in their eyes. The deadly dance twirls around the couch, until Shion suddenly ducks under Undyne's reach and grabs her by the collar, then trips her with yank to the side and an ankle behind her knees. Their technique is clumsy, but it works. The two keep scuffling on the floor. Undyne yells in excited rage, "NGAAHH, brat, you won't defeat me!"

Papyrus snaps his attention back to the eggs just in time before they start to overcook. "BREAKFAST IS READY!" He calls. Undyne storms into the kitchen, dragging Shion with her in a headlock.

"Fuhuhu, beg for mercy, brat, and I may listen!" She crows and noogies them as they struggle in vain. Papyrus watches, pitying them; Undyne's headlocks are inescapeable.

"Stop!" They snap finally. Undyne grins wickedly and yanks their hair.

"Not until you beg!"

They growl and twist futilely, fighting her with their arms and legs. Papyrus becomes slightly concerned about their foolish defiance. "UNDYNE, THAT'S ENOUGH." He snaps.

"Fuhu, you want to be next, punk?"

"Pl-please stop!" Shion spits, looking like they're about to either try to kill her or start crying, or possibly both. Undyne lets them go.

"You wanna fight me, brat? You'd better be prepared to pay the forfeit." She snarls at them and they glare back sullenly.

Papyrus recognizes the bloodlust in their eyes before Undyne does. He stomps over to them, blocking her view, and rests his hand on their head. "Don't." He says quietly. "Don't Attack Her Or You Will Have To Contend With Both Of Us."

The look disappears, hidden behind a watery fake smile. "Sorry, Papyrus," They say in their overly-cheerful customer service voice. "But she attacked me first."

"UNDYNE, APOLOGIZE." Papyrus turns to fix Undyne with a severe glare.

"Hey, they hit me with a pillow first!" She protests.

"That wasn't me." They say. "That was Sans."

"Sans wasn't even in the room!" Undyne snaps.

"THEN IT WAS HIM. THAT'S EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING HE'D DO." Papyrus says. "APOLOGIZE TO SHION FOR HURTING THEM."

Undyne glowers but grinds out a begrudging, "Sorry."

"I forgive you." Shion replies drily, then their eyes flash with a bitter glare and their voice hardens. "Don't _ever_force me to beg."

"_Brat_." Undyne sneers. "_Someone_needs to break that moronic pride of yours before it hurts someone else!"

"NOBODY NEEDS TO BREAK ANYTHING, UNDYNE, AND IT WON'T HURT ANYBODY EITHER. LET IT GO." Papyrus says to calm her down. "TIME TO EAT."

Undyne growls and digs into her eggs in silence. Shion makes their way to the door. "Thanks for having me over, boss." They call.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EAT?"

"Not hungry, but thanks." They say.

"GET BACK HERE AND EAT SOMETHING. YOU WILL NOT FAINT TODAY, OR ELSE." Papyrus orders.

"Else what?"

"I'LL SUSPEND YOU."

They sit down at the table and gulp down their eggs, his threat having worked like a charm.

####

Papyrus's competition with Undyne reaches its quarter-mark, one fourth of the year. He's outstripping her in every regard: his store is cleaner, business is booming, and his employees have become more efficient and friendly to the customers ever since he whipped them all into shape.

He hates the greasy environment. The constant noise and bustle of people with unpredictable intentions. The unhealthy food that Sans is so fond of for some weird reason. But Undyne- Undyne needs this competition. Sans needs to eat less grease, too, but Undyne hasn't been the same since her girlfriend committed suicide. Papyrus worries about her. And Sans too, because his bones will turn yellow from so much disgusting _grease_, but mostly Undyne.

He visits her restaurant to check in on her once a week. She lives with him, yeah, but he wants to see her at her job. She bought a pizza place. She's growing pudgy and weak from eating her own products all the time. Papyrus tries to make her healthy food she can bring, but she always ends up forgetting to take it with her.

He heaves a sigh. Undyne is basically his sister, and he needs to take care of her as well as Sans. The things he does for family. "Fuhuhu, try it, punk!" Undyne cheers, waving a slice of pizza around haphazardly. "It's my new recipe!"

"AREN'T YOU BOUND TO SELL ONLY WHAT CORPORATE DECIDES, SINCE YOU'RE IN A FRANCHISE?" Papyrus says in a vain effort to escape a grease-filled fate.

"Sh-shut up!" Undyne hisses. "Just eat it!"

"NO!" Papyrus protests. Undyne glares at him. He crosses his arms. "NOT GOING TO WORK, UNDYNE. I REFUSE TO DIGEST SOMETHING THAT DISGUSTING. I WOULD RATHER DIGEST DUST."

Undyne cackles and throws the pizza slice over her shoulder. It slaps one of her employees on the head and then drips onto the floor. The employee just sighs, like this sort of thing happens to them all the time. "Okay, fine, why are you here?" Undyne demands.

"AM I NOT ALLOWED TO SEE HOW MY COMPETITOR IS DOING?"

"I'd say yes, but then you'd find another way to keep tabs on me." She replies, grinning.

"TRUE. THAT WOULD BE INCONVENIENT." Papyrus notes that Undyne seems to be enjoying herself here. "YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT MY STORE IF YOU'D LIKE."

"Fuhuhu, I'll take you up on it, punk!" Undyne slaps his shoulder roughly, jolting unwanted snippets of memory to the surface that Papyrus quickly buries again. He snaps the yellow rubber band on his arm. "Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting you don't like that." She says, sobering. Papyrus just nods tersely and keeps snapping the band to regain control of his mind and emotions.

"GOOD DAY, UNDYNE. CLEAN YOUR FLOOR, IT'S FILTHY." He says finally.

"Sure, punk, just for you, NGAH, I'll have my employees stuff all their limited PASSION into it!" Undyne says. Papyrus doesn't fail to note how every single employee disappears into the back at the mention of passion.

"YOU KNOW, UNDYNE, THIS ISN'T A COMPETITION ABOUT WHO CAN SCARE THEIR WORKERS THE MOST." He says drily.

"Ngah, yeah, whatever, it's fun!" She retorts cheerfully.

####

Papyrus's work is never done. He has to reorder the inventory, since the owner before him somehow chose the exact worst method. He can't believe how illogical it is. So he has his employees fix the stock room according to his new and improved method.

He pretends to not hear how his employees grumble behind his back. How they talk about him like he's not standing right across the room. He doesn't fail to notice that they're all terrified of him.

All, with two exceptions. Andrew just treats him like any other person. And Shion fails to react with fear even when he's cuffed them; the only times he's ever seen them afraid is when he's threatened to suspend or fire them. They even attacked him once, a long time ago, with a pathetically weak punch that did zero damage.

As he's busy in the office, he hears Shion annoying Natalie over the headset again. They're singing something. *_This was a triumph~._* They hum through the static of the channel.

*_Stop it, Shion, god, why are you singing your stupid fantasy songs again? This bitch._* Natalie retorts.

Papyrus can't help but point out through his own headset, "IT'S ACTUALLY FROM PORTAL."

He hears an excited squeak from Shion. *_Boss, you like Portal?_* They demand. He's surprised they're acting more emotive, but they must be having a good day. Or they really like his favorite game as well.

"YES! BUT YOU'RE SINGING IT WRONG." He says, then sings the first line properly to show them how it's done.

*_Nice singing._* They praise him.

"OF- OF COURSE I AM WONDERFUL AT IT! WAS THERE EVER ANY DOUBT?"

*_A bit._* He's ready to be mad at them until he realizes they're teasing him.

"YOURS IS OFF-KEY." He retorts.

*_Yup._* They don't sound bothered by it. *_Hey, do you like Age of Empires?_*

*_Stop flirting with the freak, Shion._* Natalie says. Anger blooms in Papyrus's ribs at the slur.

*_Sh-shut up, bitch._* Shion spits in reply. Papyrus's anger is soothed slightly.

"IT IS EXCEEDINGLY RUDE TO CALL ANYONE THAT." He scolds Natalie. "ESPECIALLY YOUR FASCINATINGLY AMAZING BOSS!"

*_Sorry._* Natalie says in a small voice, probably only scared that she got called out, and probably going to keep insulting him behind his back.

*_Rush incoming, but lettuce romaine calm._* Shion says. Papyrus snorts, his anger vanishing in startled amusement.

"THAT WAS AWFUL, SHION." He lies through the headset, and their laugh out in the hall is the only response he recieves.

Papyrus emerges from the office to help with the rush, and Shion stops barking orders to their coworkers, exchanging a nod of acknowledgement with him.

The rush passes smoothly, with relatively few setbacks. It's almost like the weave of a synchronized dance, and Papyrus enjoys the constant movement, utilizing tactics to execute each order, and his employees jumping to obey his commands.

Shion manages to keep their cheerful mask up even when they're not facing the customers, a sign that they're having a good day. Their eyes crinkle at him, brightening their visage. The sight stabs him with a weakness in his soul that he quickly crushes. He can't get attached, for their sake and his own. Even if they do share some of his own struggles. Even if they are like him, having a LV that's higher than a normal person's yet no EXP.

A grimace crosses their face as they growl at something nobody else can hear, as they're prone to do sometimes. Even if he does admire their grit and determination, Undyne is right, they're not healthy. Papyrus frowns. Undyne thinks he's not healthy, either, but he knows he's better off than she is, so since she's healthy, then he must be even healthier.

He pats their head and they straighten proudly and say, "Good work, boss."

"THANK YOU, I KNOW, I AM QUITE AMAZING, BUT I SUPPOSE YOU'RE NOT HALF BAD YOURSELF." He praises them.

They puff up and mock him, "Of course, who could ever doubt the not-half-badness of myself, the Startling And Sterling Shion!"

He cuffs them gently, struggling to crush the amusement that bubbles in his ribs. "YOU'RE IN A GOOD MOOD TODAY." He notes.

"I have energy, for once." They retort. "I tried diluted apple cider vinegar, my mom used to make me drink all the time." They grin. "It works, even if it tastes gross."

"NYEH HEH, YOU SHOULD DRINK IT MORE OFTEN IF IT HAS THIS EFFECT ON YOU."

Their face is weirdly expressive as it flashes between cheer to uncertainty to gloom. "It scares me." They murmur, staring at their hands. "I have too much energy. What if I hurt someone?"

"YOU WON'T." Papyrus says firmly.

"But-"

"IF YOU DO, I WILL FIRE YOU."

Their eyes flare wide with fear. "Y-yes, sir," They say. The threat worked a bit too well.

"ALRIGHT, IF IT'S ONLY A LITTLE DAMAGE, I SUPPOSE I'LL ONLY SUSPEND YOU. BUT IF YOU TRY TO KILL ANYONE, I'M KICKING YOU TO THE CURB. POSSIBLY EVEN LITERALLY." He relents.

They nod quickly, not seeming at all reassured. Then they grimace again and snap their teeth at air, glaring into the corner at something only they can hear. He pats their head again and turns away to check on his other employees.

####

Papyrus wakes up and regrets doing so. His soul is filled with chaos, screaming, terror, rage, snow. So much snow: grey snow, red snow. He groans, ripping one glove off, then grips his temples with the other gloved hand, focusing on the texture of the leather against the smooth bone of his skull.

His bare phalanges go into his jaws, cracking painfully with the force of his bite. He repositions them and bites again, reveling in the aching burn. Marrow leaks from his _dusty bloody_metacarpals. _Out, out, damned spot; _if he keeps biting, he might be able to remove the stain.

"bro?" Sans knocks. Papyrus flinches and green fire flares from his hand to heal himself just enough so that the fractured bones won't interfere with his work, but not enough to make it stop hurting altogether. He pulls his glove back on stiffly.

"YES, SANS?" He replies.

"undyne's calling you."

Papyrus's scowl deepens. "WHAT TIME IS IT?"

Sans tells him. Papyrus stands up abruptly, it's late in the afternoon. No wonder he feels horrid, he never sleeps for this long. "AND WHERE IS SHE?"

"at yer store, bro." Sans replies. "she said she's having issues with one'a yer employees."

Papyrus grabs his work clothes on over his battle body. Great, someone probably insulted her and now she's going to call for a duel to satisfy her wrath. He hurries out the door, ignoring the hunger pangs in his lower ribs.

When he arrives at the store, Undyne stomps towards him, dragging- Shion? What did they do? "Papyrus, this brat tried to kill me!" She yells.

Shion writhes in a futile attempt to escape her, blind terror in their struggles. "N-nnh!" They cry, and make more gibberish noises.

Papyrus stomps up to Undyne and scowls at both of them. "THEY'RE NOT SANE, UNDYNE, THEY'RE IN AN EPISODE AND THEY DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU. I WILL DEAL WITH THEM WHEN THEY'RE PAST IT, BUT YOU NEED TO LET THEM GO OR THEY WON'T GET BETTER."

"Fuhu, _hurt_me? This brat came at me with a _knife_!" She snarls, tightening the headlock so that they choke.

"HOW MUCH DAMAGE DID THEY DEAL?" Papyrus asks.

Undyne's cheeks flush green. "Uh. Zero." She mumbles, then shrieks, "But that's not important! They tried to kill me! They're a threat, and you need to get rid of them!"

Shion wiggles enough to be able to bite Undyne's hand and she lets go with a yelp. They run for the door. Undyne barrels after them. Papyrus huffs and follows.

The human actually manages to make it to the park three minutes away. Undyne pants and huffs as Papyrus catches up to her. "_BRAT_!" She shouts. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!"

Papyrus passes Undyne as the out-of-shape warrior falters. He could easily catch up to the human if he wanted to, but he lets them duck into the trees and try to hide. His soul focuses with the thrill of the chase and the hunt. It wouldn't be any fun if he captured the human right away.

No. He needs to test their determination and wear them down by giving them puzzles first. And then he will take them to Asgore. If they kill Asgore, then he will be the new king. And if Asgore kills them, he'll be rewarded by a higher post and be able to get closer to his goal. It's a win-win.

The human backs against a tree, their eyes hard with a hint of wildness. "NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus crows and draws his talwar, preparing his magical attacks to run them through. The human grabs a stick from the ground, holding a knife in their other hand, but hiding it by their side in the vain hope that Papyrus will focus on their stick. It would be clever of them if it wasn't a sorry underestimation of Papyrus's sheer power and keen attention to detail.

"HUMAN." He says majestically. "I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLICATED FEELINGS-"

His skull rings painfully. He falls to his knees. Another spear drops haft-first to slam the human on their head so that they fall too. _Damn_\- _Undyne_\- stealing his win-

Undyne strides between him and his rightful prey. She glares at him. "That's it. I'm calling the ambulance."

Ambulance. What's- oh. Crap. Papyrus shakes his head and growls. "Yes, Undyne, that's a good idea. They need something to help their sickness."

Undyne's eye flashes with something unreadable. Then she grins. "Fuhu, yeah, glad you agree, Paps!" She steps away to phone the emergency hotline.

Papyrus approaches Shion and takes the knife as they groan on the ground. They flinch and curl into a ball. "Sorry." They whimper. "I'm sorry."

"UNDYNE IS CALLING THE HOSPITAL."

They sit up and struggle to their feet with a blank face. "_No_. It- it's fine."

"YOU ATTACKED UNDYNE." Papyrus growls. "IT IS _NOT_FINE. _YOU_ARE NOT FINE."

They glare into the woods, their feet pointing away like they're about to run. "I wasn't trying to kill her." They mumble defensively. "Just wanted her to leave me alone."

"WHY, DID SHE ATTA-"

"Hey, Paps, what's our location?" Undyne calls, too brightly. Papyrus huffs and tells her. She replies, "Thanks!"

He turns back to Shion, but they're gone. The saplings and bushes wave after their cracking footsteps. He growls under his breath and follows them. "SHION, GET BACK HERE."

"Or what." They snarl. "You're already going to fire me for attacking your friend. The least I can do now is try to escape being locked up again."

"DO YOU WANT TO FIND OUT HOW BADLY BROKEN BONES HURT?" He threatens. They falter. Then keep going forward, faster.

"You'll have to catch me first." They snap. "I'm not going back, I refuse!" Their voice twists with panic. "I can't go back! Y-you don't know what it's like, being trapped there!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT, I HAVE HAD FAR WORSE EXPERIENCES THAN BEING KEPT AT A HOSPITAL." He replies coldly, said experiences roiling in his marrow. "ONE LAST CHANCE, SHION. TURN AROUND OR FEEL MY WRATH."

They stop short, their shoulders shaking with sobs. "Pl-_please_." They beg. "D-don't make me go back."

Papyrus heaves a sigh. "WHICH WAY IS YOUR APARTMENT?" He relents.

They sniffle and point. "Twenty minutes this way." They say shakily.

"COME ON. IF WE CAN REACH IT BEFORE UNDYNE CATCHES US, THEN I WILL MAKE SURE YOU WON'T BE LOCKED UP."

They sob out a teary, "Thank you!" And they start running. Papyrus lopes to keep up with them. Undyne's furious screech sounds behind him.

It's all a matter of how much endurance they have compared to Undyne. From the way they start to flag after five minutes, he's guessing they can't keep a fast pace for long, even if the initial burst of speed was on their side. He doesn't help them. It's entirely up to them whether they win or lose.

A police car drives up alongside Papyrus and Shion and he realizes he may have made a bad move in suggesting they book it to their apartment. Two police leap out of the car and run after them. Papyrus grabs Shion by the arm to stop them, but they rip blindly out of his grasp and flee. "SHION, YOU IDIOT, STOP!" He calls after them.

They duck out of the first officer's grasp, then swerve away from the second and dodge into the street. Cars honk angrily at them as they race across. A second police car pulls up on the other side of the street. Shion finally gets tackled to the ground. The two police on his side of the street come up to him. "Name, sir." The one says as she sternly glares at him.

"PAPYRUS ELEOS. PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO BE GENTLE WITH THAT HUMAN. THEIR NAME IS SHION."

Across the street, he sees Shion struggling and fighting as the officers drag them to the car. "SHION, STOP THAT!" He orders. Their eyes meet his. They tear themself free with a violent twist and bolt for him.

They don't even make it to the street. They stagger, eyes wide, as one police fires a taser at their back, then they fall to their knees. Papyrus watches with a stern sort of regret. His soul pounds in his skull.

"Sir, the ambulance is on its way. You and your friend will be taken care of then." The officer says. "You can thank your buddy Undyne for calling us on you."

Wait, what? "THE HUMAN IS THE ONE IN NEED OF HELP." He says snootily. "I AM PERFECTLY FINE. UNDYNE SHOULD KNOW THIS."

"We'll let the doctor decide that." The police officer says. "Please get in the car to wait."

Papyrus grinds his teeth, clenches his hands, and focuses on the dull pain in the hand he bit on earlier. He focuses on his fury with Shion for failing to control themself and with Undyne for dragging him into this mess.


	5. Tired And Twisted

Snarl sullenly at the EMTs when they approach. They smile, trying to manipulate you with friendly words into dropping your guard. It won't work. You scowl at them, stealing from Papyrus's energy to try to look intimidating. "Where's Papyrus." You snap. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I'm afraid you don't really have a choice." One EMT says.

One of the police pipes up, "It's either you go quietly, or you go in handcuffs."

Your teeth grind together. "Fine." Follow the EMTs into the ambulance. You don't want to sit in the stretcher, but they tell you to, and the police stand just outside. So you obey, begrudgingly. The voices tell you what the EMTs are thinking; that you're a freak, that you're _cute_. You undergo the tests in silence even as the EMTs try to ask you questions.

They try to make you sign something. You refuse, remembering how you were locked up because you were manipulated into signing a paper while being out of it. They get the police to sign a different paper instead. Sickness roils in your stomach as helpless frustrated tears roll down your cheeks. There's no way out of this.

You submit, though, tired of fighting. You're still aching from the agony of electricity that pulsed through your muscles. You didn't eat anything today and barely ate yesterday, so your stomach clenches with pain.

This is all Undyne's fault. The buzzing in your veins and the fire in your eyes keeps you determined to resist the manipulation of the EMTs as they try to make you like them with their fake kindness and unwarranted concern. Undyne attacked you first. You only retaliated.

Papyrus steps into the ambulance and you burst into pathetic sobbing. You're hungry. You want food. You want a hug. Papyrus sits beside you on the stretcher with the faint clatter of his rattling bones . He scans you with a stern and distant gaze. "Pl-please." You beg, forgetting the dignity you would usually hold onto. "Please don't let them take me! I was just hungry, and Undyne hit me!"

He wraps his arms around your shoulders. "UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE BOTH STUCK HERE UNTIL THE DOCTOR DECIDES WE'RE FINE. HE WILL SEE THAT I AM PERFECTLY WONDERFUL RIGHT AWAY, BUT YOU WILL HAVE MORE TROUBLE CONVINCING HIM." He says sternly.

You fall into a sullen silence, taking advantage of the hug to hide your head in his soft scarf. The ambulance starts to move. His rattling grows louder. You bite your wrist absently. Papyrus removes your hand from your mouth with a light smack. "NO, THAT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE THE DOCTOR LET YOU GO." He says, and clenches his other hand on your shoulder.

The EMTs try to talk to you but you ignore them. Papyrus is safe. He's your boss. Your- not friend, yet, but you want him to be your friend. The voices hiss that he'd be better off without you. That he hates you, that you'll hurt him, and you flinch from the onslaught, sobbing out weak protests.

You recognize you've been hyperfocusing on him. You tend to do that with people you like. It feels as though he's the only person in the world who matters, whose opinion of you matters, the only one who can scorch your soul or lift you out of your internal hell.

He's got his own internal hell, you're starting to realize, and it only took you so long because you always ignore other people until you decide to make an effort to understand someone. His rattling bones fight off his own mental demons. He's tense as his arms are around you, and you try to note his expression, athough you're not good at reading people. He seems alert, ready for something. For what, you're not sure. But you realize he always looks like this, always looks _vigilant_whether scowling or blank.

The ambulance reaches the hospital all too soon and Papyrus grabs your hand as the EMTs escort you and him out. You know he means nothing by it, he's only protecting his employee, but it still means something to you- wait. He thinks you tried to kill Undyne, so he's going to fire you, so- why the hell is he protecting you, then?

At the reminder that you're going to be out of a job in addition to having to pay medical bills, your heart starts to pound in your throat and you feel like you can't breathe. This is probably the worst time you could choose to get a panic attack. Papyrus taps a pattern on the back of your hand with his thumb. He's strong, he's not pathetic like you, why the hell is he here, why is he staying with you? Why is he helping you? The spiraling thoughts and confusion only serves to make you lightheaded. "BREATHE, SHION." Papyrus orders and you try to obey, but the clenching pain in your stomach and the ache from getting tased and the terror of being trapped overwhelms you-

_Scream_\- _Run_\- Papyrus chases you down and traps you in his arms before the guards can tackle you. You wail like the pathetic boring fool you are, "Why?" And you can't seem to say anything else except that one word, _why_! _Why why why why?_Why does he care? Why won't they just let you eat something and then let you go? Why is he rattling so loudly? Wh-why is he carrying you?

"DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN, FOR I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU WIN." He says, but somehow you realize he's not talking about winning against the EMTs, or the guards, or even your brain sickness. "ASGORE MAY BE POWERFUL, BUT HE IS A FOOL. EVEN YOU COULD DEFEAT HIM WITH YOUR SUPERIOR STRATEGIES." The guards run after him and you realize with a start that he's walking in the wrong direction, away from the hospital.

"I'll do it, I'll defeat him, just hurry up!" You cry. "They're chasing us!"

Papyrus scoffs in disgust. "THOSE PATHETIC WEAKLINGS ARE NO MATCH FOR ME." He breaks into a smooth loping run, and when you look over his shoulder, jagged bones spear up from the ground in the path of the guards. They shout angrily after you, filling you with exhilaration.

"Freeze, Fae! Drop the human and release your attacks!" Police run up to surround him.

"HUMAN. CAN YOU RUN?"

"Y-yeah." You say.

"GUARDS, I WILL GIVE YOU TO THE COUNT OF THREE TO DISPERSE. ONE!" He says. You realize suddenly that this is a very bad idea.

"P-Papyrus, actually, let's just go quietly, it's okay," You ramble quickly.

"TWO." He continues, dropping you onto your feet. You grab his arm. He's trembling with tension, his bones rattling loudly. "LET GO, HUMAN."

"N-no, I'm not going to defeat this Asgore person, have you seen me? I'm super weak! I can't defeat anyone! Let's just turn around and go back, okay?"

"THRE-MMF!"

You pull away from him, your lips tingling. His sockets bulge white with shock. "I'm really sorry, you can kill me later, okay?" You say. His attacks have dissipated. The police and guards close in. "Please don't hurt him," You plead.

"We won't unless he tries to pull another stunt like that." A guard replies, and that isn't very reassuring. "Alright, let's get you lovers to the psych ward."

"He's fine, really, he was just protecting me!" You protest. "He doesn't need to be locked up too, just me, you can lock me up, okay?"

Papyrus just stares blankly into the distance, stunned. If you could feel guilt, it would be eating you alive. As it is, all you feel is fear.

"He's fine." You snarl as the guards handcuff both you and him. They take the extra precaution of snapping a magisuppression collar around his neck. "We're fine."

Papyrus continues to be silent and unresponsive as the guards drag you both to the psych ward. "I'm sorry." You tell him quietly. "I'm really sorry, I couldn't figure out how to stop you."

His hands go to brush over his jaws, where you kissed him. You're a horrible person. Why the hell did you have to kiss him without his permission? You couldn't think of anything else, is your weak excuse. But you wanted to, didn't you. You wanted to.

"You." He says in a quiet shaking voice and you can't tell if it's gentle or dangerous. "You-" You're assuming it's dangerous.

"I'm sorry." You mumble tearfully. "I didn't- I shouldn't have- Y-you can kill me later."

The guards check you both into the locked ward. The nurse shows you both your rooms. Papyrus stays silent. You go into your room, then wait in the doorway, watching him. He looks at the door to his room for a long moment, then stomps past you into yours.

You close the door with trepidation buzzing in your bones. "Sir," You say cautiously.

He slams a fist against the wall and it cracks under the force. "_IDIOT_." He growls. You wince. "I AM SUCH AN _IDIOT_."

"N-no, I-"

"YOU DID WHAT YOU HAD TO. I'M GOING TO LET IT GO AS LONG AS YOU _NEVER_BRING IT UP AGAIN."

"O-oh."

"HOW COULD I LET THIS GET THE BEST OF ME?" He rages, punching the wall again. "I'M _FINE_, I AM PERFECTLY HEALTHY, HOW COULD I LET THEM DO THIS TO ME!"

"It- it's Undyne's fault." You mutter bitterly.

He pins you with a glare. "IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU DIDN'T ATTACK HER!"

"She hit me first."

"AND SO YOU HAD TO TRY TO SLASH HER WITH A KNIFE, IS THAT IT?"

"I haven't eaten anything in- in two days!" You protest, realizing too late how stupid it sounds.

Papyrus isn't impressed. "SO YOU REFUSE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF _YET__AGAIN_, AND THUS WE BOTH WIND UP IN THIS SITUATION." He snarls. "_WELL DONE_, I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY."

"You didn't have to come after me." You mumble.

"Y-YOU'RE MY EMPLOYEE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT UNDYNE WAS GOING TO DO."

"I'm sorry."

"_SORRY_ISN'T GOING TO GET US OUT OF HERE." He sits on the bed and crosses his arms. "YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, THOUGH, HAVEN'T YOU. HOW LONG WILL THEY KEEP US HERE?"

"It depends, but at least a week. They're going to try to put us on medication." Papyrus stares at you and you're confused for a moment, then your gut drops to your toes; he's pissed. "U-uh-" You hide your face.

"YOU WERE_ALREADY _**_SUPPOSED_**_TO BE TAKING MEDICATION _AND YOU **_STOPPED?_**" He rises to blow up at you.

"It- it was really expensive, okay?" You defend weakly. "And it made me nauseous all the time! It was awful!"

He scoffs and stomps to the corner. "I- _HHH_. I UNDERSTAND. BUT STILL. IF YOU KNEW YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING _SOMETHING_TO HELP YOURSELF, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO FIND AN ALTERNATIVE."

"What about you?" You ask.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?"

"You- uh. kinda went loopy-" He spins to glare at you. "N-noted, I'm sorry, I won't bring it up again!"

"The term is _psychotic break_." A nurse enters the room without knocking. "And you both seem to be suffering from them."

"I DO NOT!" Papyrus protests, his fists clenching and you notice he slides into a ready stance.

"Fae, huh. PTSD. It would be so easy if they would just let us diagnose you all, but noo~, we have to do it case-by-case even though it's basically a given." The nurse turns to you, dismissing Papyrus. You glare at the nurse. You don't like him. "As for you, we'll have to run a few tests." He says. "I suppose you two can stay with each other, even though we usually have to make you stay in separate rooms. But we're filled to the brim already, so I guess two lovers staying together won't cause too many problems."

Your face flushes with heat and you drop to the bed to subtly duck Papyrus's unsubtle grab for your collar. The nurse smirks and you decide you hate him. "Well, have fun, and try to keep it down, these walls are thin."

He leaves. You hide your burning face in your hands, not daring to face Papyrus's wrath. "WHAT." Papyrus intones. "THE. _HELL_. DID YOU TELL THEM."

"N-nothing!" You yelp as he grabs you by the back of your shirt and lifts you into the air. "R-really, nothing, heh, they j-just assumed-"

"NYYYYYEEEEHHHHHHH!" He screeches, shaking you like you're a mouse caught by a cat. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" He drops you and stomps to the head of the bed to sit down and sulk.

"I- I know." You say. "It's my fault. When we get out of here, I'll do whatever you want in order to make it up to you."

"_ANYTHING_?"

"I promise."

He considers this. "ALRIGHT, I'LL THINK OF SOMETHING DEVIOUS! SOMETHING SO AWFUL IT WON'T FAIL TO TERRIFY YOU!"

"Truce until then?" You ask.

"FINE, TRUCE." He agrees.

####

The first day passes excruciatingly slowly. There's a TV in the activity room and crayons. The doctor comes to test you and decides you have depression despite the lies you give in the paper test and the QnA sessions. He starts you on an antidepressant. A nurse has Papyrus start on an SSRI and he's forced to see a therapist every afternoon. He rages at night about that when you're both back in the bedroom. He's taken the bed while you sit on the floor with the blanket and the pillow. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF SANS FROM IN HERE? AND UNDYNE, WHO'S GOING TO MAKE SURE SHE DOESN'T KILL ANYONE!" His bones rattle as he rants.

You don't reply, huddling in the corner and hiding in your blanket. He shoots a glare at you. "AND MY STORE. WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING WITHOUT ME? PROBABLY BOONDOGGLING!"

"Sorry." You mumble again.

"AND THIS PLACE IS SO BORING. I DON'T TRUST THESE PEOPLE, THEY'RE NOT RELIABLE. CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY TRIED TO _MANIPULATE_ME INTO CRYING? _ME_. _CRY_. NO WAY IN HELL AM I DOING THAT!"

"Dumb nurses." You growl in agreement. They kept trying to tell you that you were arrogant for not wanting help.

"I KNOW! AND WHAT'S WORSE IS THEY SCOLD ME FOR IT LIKE I'M A BABYBONES! I AM PRECISION AND STRENGTH ITSELF! I DO NOT CRY LIKE A WIMP." His bones keep rattling. He sits down on the bed and huffs sulkily.

You get up and sit on the other edge of the bed. "If you pretend it's working, they'll be more likely to let you out when the week is over."

He gives you a sharp look. "YOU'RE SAYING I MANIPULATE THEM BACK?"

"Uuh. Yes?"

"HM. I'LL DO THAT." He says, then lays down and pushes you off the bed with a foot. "BUT I'M STILL PISSED."

The next day isn't much better. You hide in your room most of the day. So does Papyrus. You both start playing little games with each other to while away the hours and relieve the boredom.

"WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?"

"Sushi."

"SUSHI IS WONDERFUL, BUT WHAT'S EVEN MORE WONDERFUL IS THAT OATMEAL WITH THE DINOSAUR EGGS IN IT." He says, and then it's your turn.

"Favorite book?"

"ENDER'S GAME."

"Cool, I like that one, but mine's Children Of Blood And Bone."

"I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT ONE, WHAT'S IT ABOUT?"

And so it goes on, day by day, taking medicine, going to their stupid group sessions, and enduring the one-on-one sessions. When neither is trapped in a therapy session, you steal paper and crayons from the activity room and play several games of Dots with Papyrus. He screeches in outrage the first time he loses, and you find yourself laughing at him, feeling light and floaty, and you're not sure if it's because of him or the medicine they put you on.

He makes a chessboard out of paper and folds different origami forms for the pieces. You consistently lose at chess, so he starts venturing out of the room in order to find a worthy partner. You tag along with him, and he doesn't seem to mind.

On the day before a week has passed, he finds a chess master who believes she's a queen and the two play late into the night with his paper chess set, defeating each other or coming to draws. You pace around them, feeling restless for no reason. The chess master goes to bed finally, an hour before curfew. Papyrus sits back on a couch and watches you pace.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH DAMAGE YOU DEALT TO UNDYNE?"

The question dumps ice on your relative cheer. "No?" You say nervously, trying to read his face to see how mad he is.

"ZERO." He tells you. "YOU, A HUMAN WITH FIVE LOVE, DEALT ZERO DAMAGE WHILE ATTACKING WITH A KNIFE. HOW?"

"I have five?" You wonder, startled by the high number.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION."

"I- I didn't want to hurt her." You admit. "I just wanted to scare her away, I didn't mean to actually strike her."

"I'LL ACCEPT THAT. NEXT QUESTION, ARE YOU ANY GOOD AT FIGHTING."

"Nope." You're half-lying. You can sort of hold your own in a fight through sheer determination and ingenuity, but you don't know any proper moves except how to punch or trip someone.

He gives you a sharp look, then lazily rises and starts for the bedroom. You're about to follow him, then realize too late that he's feinting, as he spins and kicks out at your head. You duck and back away, alert tension flooding your body. He attacks slower than you know he could, giving you a chance to dodge and attempt to fight back. Then you're backed into a corner and a grin flashes on his jaws before his fist slams towards your gut- you grit your teeth, but he halts just before hitting you.

"INTERESTING." He says, then grabs your hand to drag you back to the bedroom. You find a grin hanging on your face, despite losing, the fight was kind of exhilarating.

"C-can we do that again?" You ask, trying to tone down your excitement, but Papyrus notices anyway if the smirk on his jaws is any indicator.

"PERHAPS." He says, sounding cheerful. "I'M VERY POWERFUL, THOUGH, SO I HAVE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE."

"Oh, woe is me!" You cry. "I'm not nearly as powerful as you are, oh magnificent one!"

"NYEH HEH HEH, THAT'S RIGHT, FOR NONE CAN MATCH MY PRESTIGIOUS LEVEL OF CONTROL AND STRENGTH!"

"Not even like this?" You ask innocently and grab his arm, then tickle his ribs. You're an expert at tickling.

He squawks angrily as you attack him with tickles. "N-NO, NY-NYEH, NOT E-EVEN LIKE THA-AT!" And then he grabs your wrists and you gulp at the twinkling scowl he gives you.

"M-mercy!" You plead.

"WHAT WAS THAT? I SHOULD TICKLE YOU UNTIL YOU SCREAM?" He trips you into his arms and carries you into the bedroom. "I THINK I'LL DO THAT."

"W-wait!" You cry as he sits down on the bed and begins his revenge. You're forced to laugh and squeak helplessly as he attacks without mercy.

"I'M NOT HEARING ANY SCREAMING. I SUPPOSE I'M NOT BEING HARSH ENOUGH." He starts interspersing pinches with the nearly-painful tickling.

"St-stop!" You gasp. His hands go still but he doesn't let you go.

"TOMORROW MARKS A WEEK. THEY'RE GOING TO LET US OUT THEN, RIGHT?" He asks.

"If- if they think we're adjusted, then yeah." You say, sobering at the thought of the medical bills you're going to have to pay. There's no way you'll be able to do that unless he lets you keep your job. "Am- am I fired?" You ask nervously, afraid to know the answer.

Papyrus flops onto his side, dragging you with him. "MMH." He hums sleepily. You're not sure if that's a yes or a no. Poke him and he snaps at your finger. "NO, NOT YET." He mercifully ends your morbid curiousity. "BUT YOU'RE ON EXTREMELY THIN ICE. DON'T THINK THAT I'VE FORGOTTEN YOU GOT US BOTH INTO THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE."

"Sorry." You apologize again. He cuffs you lightly in reply.

"YOU WILL MAKE SURE TO KEEP TAKING YOUR MEDICATION THIS TIME." He scolds. "NO MORE OF THIS NONSENSE."

"You'll keep seeing a therapist?"

He splutters angrily. "I- I DON'T NEED TO. THEY KEEP TRYING TO MANIPULATE ME!"

"You do seem more- at ease." You note.

"THAT'S- THAT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE MEDICINE." He snaps. "I SUPPOSE I MIGHT HAVE ANXIETY OR SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT, BUT TO JUST AUTOMATICALLY _ASSUME_THAT I HAVE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IS AN INSULT TO MYSELF AND ALL FAE!"

"Oh." You fall silent.

The nurse knocks on the door for the nightly round and Papyrus shoves you off the bed. You catch yourself on the floor and then sit. The nurse comes in and takes your vital signs as you glare at him. "How's the lovebirds tonight?" The nurse coos patronizingly.

"Will we be set free tomorrow?" You demand.

"YES, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT AS WELL."

The nurse frowns. "Shion, you seem to be adjusting fine to the medicine, but Papyrus hasn't been accepting therapy very well, so we decided he needs to stay for another week, at least."

"What?" You cry angrily, hopping to your feet.

Papyrus sits up and shouts at the same time, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! I HAVE A FAMILY TO TAKE CARE OF! A STORE TO RUN! YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP ME HERE FOR SOME ARBITRARY REASON!"

"Well, technically, we can." The nurse shrugs, his eyes holding pleased lights.

Your punch knocks the lights right out.

Papyrus stares at you. You stare at the nurse. The nurse crumples to the floor. "Oops." You say. Then kneel by him and search his pockets. Snatch his pass and his badge, then turn around to Papyrus and dangle the keys to his collar. "You want outta here?"

"YES." He says and takes the keys, snapping the collar off. You grab the nurse's scrubs and put them on, then escort Papyrus out, making your way to the doors. The guards don't even notice. You've seen transfers happen before between wings, and so that's what you're pretending to do if they challenge you.

The doors open for the pass. You know this hospital, you've tried to escape it multiple times before, so you take Papyrus through the fastest route with the least amount of guards. Maybe this time you'll actually succeed.

Lockdown initiates with wailing sirens and red flashing lights. You hide Papyrus and yourself in the back of a broom closet behind a pile of dirty uniforms. "Put this on." You hiss to him, shoving a messy pair of scrubs into his hands. He complies, grumbling under his breath. You pull on different scrubs as well and then find another pass hanging on the wall, leaving the nurse's hidden in the pile of laundry. He puts on a breathing mask along with a nurse cap. Then venture back out, walking confidently.

"Do You Trust Me?" He hisses.

"Yeah." You reply without thinking about it.

"Jump Out The Window."

There's an open window at the end of this hall. You stare at it. It has to be at least five stories up. Shouts rise up behind you. You run. Papyrus runs after you. Leap out the window and fall through the whistling wind. A sharp cold pain spears your leg. Your fall slows to let you land gently on the ground. Papyrus lands beside you. Run.

"JUMP!" He orders. "JUMP HIGH!"

You obey, leaping as high as you can, then choke as you keep rising through the air in an arc. Papyrus runs on air beside you. "YOU'RE BLUE NOW, NYEH HEH HEH!" He crows.

The guards look like ants, rushing frantically about behind you. You laugh euphorically. Papyrus grabs your hand and drags you through the sky, over the city lights. "WHERE'S YOUR APARTMENT?" He asks.

You tell him and he heads towards it. "We'll have to lay low until the police give up." You tell him apologetically.

"I KNOW A LAWYER." He replies. "SHE'LL HELP US OUT."

* * *

**AN**: ...no, I never actually escaped from the psych ward I was locked up in. Don't take this too seriously. Thanks for reading!


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